Improvement in bee-hives



'tutti tua aal esta Letters Patent No. 109,201, dated November 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN- BEEHlVES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, LAWSON L. GOODWIN, oi' Toronto, in the county of Vermillion and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in the construction of Bee- Hives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and simple manner of constructing a moth-proof' .bee-hive, in which pro'- vision is made for such direct and complete ventilation Ias that the bees will never lay out,` such freedom of accessto every part of the cells as that the bees will have full space for work without crowding each-other,an 1l such an arrangement ot the'broodcells-as that the clusters will not be separated in winter, thebrood-eombs be so supported as not to break or slump,7 but admit of being readily removed singly without interfering with those which' are left, and

in which, because of its construction, the strength of the swarm will be better preserved'aud a larger yield of honey obtained than inordinary hives.v

It relates also, specially, in the first place, to the combination of a glass-covered conducting-board, with the entrance to a bcc-hive and with a cool-air chamber iu the bottom of the hive; the object ot' this part ot' my invention being to illuminate the cool-air cha-n1- ber under the cells,'so that the bees shall blow ,or fan themselves upon :thcslopiug bottom of said chambcr,instead of going out for the purpose, and thus assist in promoting a circulation of air through the, hive'; and this end is further facilitated by means of a series of perforations inthe bottom of the conducting-board, near the entrance to the hive, which admits a free current of airiuto the hive.

In the second place, to thecombination of upright, centrally-perforated slides with the ,brood-cells of the hives,` these supporting slides being centrally perforated to allow the nurse-bees to pass through the brood-combs; the object of this part ot my invention being to' support the brood-combs upon a detachable support in such manner as that the keeper may remove any 'on'eof them at pleasure, while the comb shall ata-ll times beperfectly firm and solid.

In the third placc, to the usc ofa metallic ease, open front and rear, and made to fit and slide closely within the lioney-cells,zt`or-thc purpose of removing leighth otan inch thick, widened centrally, but averthe honey-combs therefrom without breaking them.

In the accompanying drawing- Fionrc l is a trout elevation of mvini n'ovcd Ial ace Bee-hive, with its doors opcu.

Figure 2, a vertical transverse section, in theline a' a' ot' lig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sideelevation tuercot'. Figure 4, a horizontal section in line y y of iig. l. Figure 5, .a horizontal section in line z 219 fig. 1. Figure, a'pcrspective View of the combal'etaeher. A is the outer casing of the hive. l l, its doors.

C the honey-cells, separated by horizontal shelves D D and a vertical partition, E.

F F, the brood-cells, separated by a vertical parti- H, the cool-air space or chamber under the broodcclls. (See iig. 2.) A* n I, the outer conducting-board, covered by a glass plate, t, through which the bees pass into the cool-air chamber and thence up into the hive. l

My improved hive is so constructed as that the cells shall all be of an extended rectaugularpform,

their length greatly exceeding their width, and so arranged as that the longest side may be opened for inspection and for the removal of the honey. In the accompanying drawingit is represented as divided I into two tiers of vcells by central vertical partitions.

lThe cells O C C C and F F. are formed by meansI I of longitudinal shelves I) D sliding into grooves formed in the vertical partitions E and G, and secured by screws, and are made of. a width equal to fourit'ths of their height. They are lined at the back, and covered in front by plates of' glass, the joints between the glass plates being covered by the edges of lthe shelves.

Both thc shelves and partitions are 'pierced witlr a series of apertures along their front'and rear edges and ends, (see figs. 2 and 4,) each large enough to permit the passage of/the bees Athrough tl1em,while extended apertures a a, iig. 2, are also formed through the top and bottom of the partitions in the line of the shelves. Ihus free, open passage-ways are provided for the becs up and down from the top to the bottoni of the hive, both in the front and rear, as well as in the ends thereof, and also horizontally from cell to cell at the top, bottom, and sides of each, leaving the entire. central space of cach cell to be filled with the combs, accessible from every side. rlhe oblong form of the cells will lead the bees to build the combs trom front to rear, or cioe corsa.

The lower cells F F of the hive, which are first entered by the becs7 become the brood-cells. These are fitted with a series of sliding supporting plates, K KK, iig. 2,- consistiug o t` strips of wood, say oneaging about two-to three inches in width, with their edges reduced to an extreme thinness. These strips K K are pierced with au enlarged aperture, m, tig. 2, in their widest part, to admit of the passage of the nurse-bees. eeutrally'through the comb for the purpose of facilitating their labors in rearing the brood, and to prevent their separation into dilerent clusters in thc winter-season.

The supporting-strips are arranged vertically, their f lower ends being secured centrally in foot-pieces a n, made wide enough se that when laid together side by' the cells by means of cleats nailed thereto.

side proper intervals shall be left between the strips, and their` upper ends in transverse pieces made to fit and slide into dovetail grooves formed in thc top of (See tiff. 1.) The bees will bnild around and upon these vsupporting-strips andupon their footfpieces, covering the Same entirely 'with .the comb, leaving, however, as

usual, the central' transversepassage, and by means of the support thus obtained Ithe loss oftenl occas ioned in ordinary hives in hot weather, and in the midst of the honey season, by the 'falling and crumbling of the heavy brood-combs, is prevented, while at the same time thcbrood-combs are all mademovable, so that they may be'readily removed to Amake vartificial swarms or for other purposes. The partition between the brood-cells is wholly perforated with. cnlarged apertures, so thatthc bees mayliave free 4passage from cell to cell asf-well as from comb to comb in f their winter clusters.

As the back of both the honey andf-.brood-cells is lined with glass the combs will not adhere thereto.

The -honey-combs are` readily removed by `means of a case, G, g. 6, of .tin or other metal, ,open at front audrear, madeto fit and slide closely within Ythe cell. A bar across the rear of the c utter thus formed furuishesahandle therefor. In using this .comb-cx-l tractor-Whe front glass of the cell'is removed, and the bees.

A space or chamber, H is formed under the broodcells, having a bottom foi-mcd of threepieccs sloping from the front and from each side to a'ccntral slit or elongated aperture on the rear side, constituting the entranceto the hive, and to theoutside ot'whieh is secured a sloping board, or, by preiercnce, a metallic plate, I, over which the -becs pass to enter the'hive. This conducting-board or plate is covered with a platel of glass, t, a passage-way being left between the glass cover and the board. Thus the board or -plate is not only e1 tirely exposed tothe light, but the entrance to the hide, while perfectly protected by the glass, is also fully illuminated, the rays of light penetrating through the entrance-way into the cool-air chamber, expelling all darkness therefrom.

The sides ot' the conducting-board between the glass cover and the plate beneath are closed, and a metallic strip, s, iastened'upon one side, or a centrally-pivoted Wooden str-ip serves to close the opening tothe board at pleasure.

For the purpose ot increasing the summer ventilation of the hive the conducting-board or plate is pierced 'with a number of minute apertures near to the entrance of -the hive, (see fig. 4,) through which a cnr- 4rent of airis admitted directly into the entrance-way to pass' into the cool-air chamber H and thence up lthrough the hive. This upward ventilation is facilitated by the becs themselves, who, with this improved construction of hive, in which the cool-air chamber is illuminated, will blow or fan their wings therein, instead of passing out forthepurpose. The sloping oi, and enables the becs to thrust out readily any foreign body, and, by radiating from the entrance-way, leaves no dark corners which the ray-s ot' light therefrom will not reach.

In winter the Ventilating apertures at the entrance to the hive are closed by means of a door or valve, R, (see tig. 2,) of leather or other suitable material, made to shut against and co'ver the same-closely, Yas illustrated in tig, 2,

' A narrow interval is lelt between the. lower shelf' of the hive andthe bottom of the cool-air chamber in ront, by means whereof it can be inspectedjfrom the ront. i' Y l A 'Ventilating space or .hot-air chamber, W, figs, 2 and 3, is also formed between the top of the upper cells and the roof of the hive.

vThe covers of the upper cellsarc provided with apertures t t, which are covered over with line Wire-gauze r, to prevent the bees from passing up through them, and which permits, nevertheless, a free passage for air-currents.

Topreveut the bees from sealing or gluing up these air-passages in the top of the cells, the hot-air chamber above is darkened by means of transverse strips ff placed in front of the outer openings in the chamber. These outer openings for 'the escape of the foul and heated air are closed at pleasure by means of suitable valves o r doors. 'This upper hot-air chamber not only greatly increases the free circulationof air up through the hive in summer, but is especially useful -in the winter-season, when the lower ventilators are closed iu carrying oftthe vapors from the swarms in. the hi've.

I claim as my invention- 4 1.' My improvedv bec-hive, constructed, substantially as herein set forth, of the illuminated chamber H provided with a glass-covered conducting-board, I, the superimposed brood and honey-cells O and F having marginal pe'ribratons, Y as described, and the upper darkened Ventilating chamber' W, the whole being arranged and combined to afford lperfect ventilation throughout and facility ot access to every part, as specified.

2. The combination and arrangement ofen upper 'glass cover with -the sloping conducting-board I, exe tending from the entrance of the hive, and with the Ventilating chamber H formed under its brood and honey cclls to decoy moths from the. entrance, and at the same time illuminate the Ventilating chamber, all substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. Thin, centraily-perforated, detachable supports KK, constructed substantially as herein described, for the purpose oi' supporting the brood-combs, as herein set forth.

4. The within-described metallic comb-extractorG, made rectangular in form, to lit closclywithih the honey-cells, for the purpose of cutting out and removing the honey-combtherefrom, substantially as herein set forth.

\Vitness my hand to this speeitication.

LAXVSON L. GOODWIN.

Witnesses F. N. AUSTIN, G. B. TrLLocrson.

bottom of the chamber facilitates the cleansing there`` 

